Goodbye San Cristobal

El Chiflon y Tenam Puente

We visited two sites near the city of Comitan - the prehispanic ruins of Tenam Puente and the waterfall at El Chiflon.




El Chiflon is down in what is called the Central Depression - driving down there we saw a roadside saying 'Danger - Unpopulated Zone' with an image of a cactus and a cow skull!


It's a truly impressive waterfall - though we nearly gave up on the walk up there in about 40 Celcius with Daisy bouncing along in the sling.



Further down we found a spot to go in the water - it was very cold and Daisy cried for a few minutes, then she realised she could touch her feet on the muddy bottom and stand and try and grab leaves floating by - she had a great time!

La Era

We travelled one Sunday to the ejido community of 'La Era', a part of the municipality of Huiztan. Our friends Manuel & Augustina and their children are originally from there - they had to leave when they rejected the local pagan-Catholic religion for a more Biblical Christianity.


We visited Augustina's aunt's house first - just four walls of wood, corrugated iron roof and earth floor - there they cook, eat and sleep. It probably isn't much changed from indigenous homes 400 years ago!


When Pablo visited La Era in 2000 they ran him out of the village accusing him of being a foreign missionary. It's only this year that the community has allowed the small number of Christian families there to build a church building.


We visited the afternoon service - we were told it should last an hour, this time it stretched to just over three! The singing and sermon were in Tzotzil with occasional words of Spanish. Pablo had to stand up and say a few words, in Spanish. Shortly afterwards the service finished and we made good our escape.


A few days later we were back at Manuel's house - where they'd come to 16 years ago when they fled La Era.


It's Luis's 19th birthday - but no cans of beer, cigarette butts or police called at midnight here. Instead the church youth group have been invited (not by Luis we guess) to the house for church games, a quick inspirational word and then tamales and coca cola for everyone. Luis mostly hides behind Daisy!

Final day in Oaxaca City

Our last day together we spent back in Oaxaca City.

We tried to starve ourselves in anticipation of our 7-course taster meal at Casa Crespo.

So, to start, it's cactus, with blue maize flour, fried pig-skin ball and hibiscus sauce - it's a good start..

Then we're onto ceviche with tomato foam and pineapple reduction (Daisy's favourite by far)!


Then randomly a man appeared to fill up the fountain with his, er, big hose...


But there was no rest for us, onto red snapper with pine nuts and avocado base (which even Ian ate, even though he's not keen on avocado)...


And on we go - avocado and prawns mousse with a red sauce and a green one, they were very nice, but I'd had too much wine by then to remember what type of sauce they were, but they were very nice....


Wow - then came the beef steak (arrachera) with, wait for it, coffee topping and banana sauce - it was sublime!


We were the only people at Casa Crespo that evening - wonderful to have the place to ourselves.


Course Six - well not so filling, Jamaica with mint tea - to clear the mouth apparently.


And to finish, wonderful Oaxacan chocolate mousse with 'fake air'. A fine way to end a marvellous trip.

Puerto Escondido with Sarah & Ian

We flew over the mountains to the coast in the smallest airplane any of us have ever flown in. It was a surprisingly smooth flight and re-assuring to be able to see, nearly reach out and touch, the pilot.


We stayed at the splendid Villas Carrizalillo (impossible to pronounce) - all fine once they acknowledged that we did indeed have a booking!


It was a short walk down to the bay below, much quieter than the main Puerto Escondido beaches and safe to swim in the water.




Daisy got into the spirit of things again and Dad kindly bought her the local paper to enjoy.



Aunty Sarah & Uncle Ian did a splendid job of entertaining the little princess.